Gasification: A high temperature thermochemical process used to convert biomass to synthesis gas. Limited oxygen (or air) is employed to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen, instead of carbon dioxide and water as in traditional combustion.

Gasifier: A device for converting solid fuel into gaseous fuel. In biomass systems, the process is referred to as pyrolytic distillation. See Pyrolysis.

Gasohol: Mixture of gasoline and ethanol derived from fermented agricultural products containing 10% ethanol by volume. Gasohol emissions contain less carbon monoxide than those from gasoline. It is more commonly known as E10, Super Unleaded Plus Ethanol, or Unleaded Plus.

Gasohol: Mixture of gasoline and ethanol derived from fermented agricultural products containing 10% ethanol by volume. Gasohol emissions contain less carbon monoxide than those from gasoline. It is more commonly known as E10, Super Unleaded Plus Ethanol, or Unleaded Plus.

Gastropod: A class of mollusks that have a sucker-like foot. These soft-bodied invertebrates include the snail and slug.

GATT: General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

GATT: The provisional multilateral instrument governing international trade from 1948 until the establishment of the World Trade Organization. The designation also refers to the organization headquartered in Geneva that carried out the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. The organization provided a framework within which international trade negotiations were conducted and trade disputes resolved. Decisions in the GATT were made at an annual meeting, the General Session, of the contracting parties. The GATT Council, comprised of all contracting parties, met monthly.

GATT Round(s): Cycles of multilateral trade negotiations conducted under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) for the purposes of reducing tariffs or other trade barriers. Eight rounds have been completed since the GATT was established in 1948:

1947: Geneva, Switzerland. The GATT was created as a result of this round.
1949: Annecy, France. The round involved negotiations with nations that desired GATT membership. Principal emphasis was on tariff reduction.
1951: Torquay, England. This round continued accession and tariff reduction negotiations.
1956:Geneva, Switzerland. This round proceeded along the same track as earlier rounds.
1960-62: Geneva, Switzerland. This round, referred to as the Dillon Round, involved further revision of the GATT and the addition of more countries.
1963-67: Geneva, Switzerland. Known as the Kennedy Round, this round was a hybrid of the earlier product-by-product approach to negotiations and the new formula tariff reduction approach with across-the-board tariff reductions.
1973-79: Geneva, Switzerland. This round, called the Tokyo Round, centered on the negotiation of additional tariff cuts and developed a series of agreements governing the use of a number of nontariff measures.
1986-94: Geneva Switzerland. The latest round, termed the Uruguay Round because it was launched in Punta del Este, Uruguay, focused on strengthening the GATT and expanding its disciplines to new areas, including agriculture. The Uruguay Round resulted in the creation of the World Trade Organization as a successor to the GATT.

GATT trigger: The Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1990 authorized a two-tiered trigger mechanism, if an agreement on agricultural trade was not reached in the Uruguay Round of the GATT negotiations. If an agreement was not reached by June 30, 1992, the USDA could waive the minimum ARP levels for 1993-95 wheat and feedgrains. This provision was eliminated by the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1993. The Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1990 also mandated a marketing loan for wheat and feedgrains, if the U.S. had not entered into a GATT agreement by June 30, 1992. Because no agreement was entered into by that date, the USDA implemented a marketing loan for wheat and feedgrains for the 1993-94 crop year.

GATT trigger: The Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1990 authorized a two-tiered trigger mechanism, if an agreement on agricultural trade was not reached in the Uruguay Round of the GATT negotiations. If an agreement was not reached by June 30, 1992, the USDA could waive the minimum ARP levels for 1993-95 wheat and feedgrains. This provision was eliminated by the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1993. The Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1990 also mandated a marketing loan for wheat and feedgrains, if the U.S. had not entered into a GATT agreement by June 30, 1992. Because no agreement was entered into by that date, the USDA implemented a marketing loan for wheat and feedgrains for the 1993-94 crop year.

GATT trigger: The Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1990 authorized a two-tiered trigger mechanism if an agreement on agricultural trade was not reached in the Uruguay Round of the GATT negotiations. If an agreement was not reached by June 30, 1992, the USDA could waive the minimum Acreage Reduction Program levels for 1993-95 wheat and feedgrains. This provision was eliminated by the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1993. The Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1990 also mandated a marketing loan for wheat and feedgrains, if the U.S. had not entered into a GATT agreement by June 30, 1992. Because no agreement was entered into by that date, the USDA implemented a marketing loan for wheat and feedgrains for the 1993-94 crop year.

GCPO: Global Change Program Office

GDP: Gross Domestic Product

Gelding: An castrated male horse.

Gene expression: The cellular production of the protein encoded by a particular gene.

Gene flow: movement of genes by pollen, seeds, or plants from one population to another.

Gene sequencing: Genes consist of DNA that in turn consist of nucleotides. The precise sequence of the nucleotides in a gene determines the physical and chemical activity that the gene produces in an organism. The entire genetic content of an organism is called its genome. A worldwide effort is underway to decipher the precise sequence of the genomes of various organisms, including humans, pathogens, and agricultural crops. This effort is fueled by the search to identify genes and their encodedproteins that are associated with both health and disease.

Gene transfer: The process of moving a gene from one organism to another. Current biotechnology methods permit the identification, isolation, and transfer of individual genes as a molecule of DNA. These methods make it possible to transfer genes between organisms that would not normally be able to exchange them.

General Accounting Office (GAO): The agency of Congress that investigates the operations of various federal programs and the expenditure of appropriated funds. Most investigations are conducted at the request of Congressional committees or individual members of Congress.

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT): Multilateral agreement, signed by nearly one hundred countries, to establish rules and guidelines for regulating world trade among members, and a forum for countries to discuss and resolve trade disputes. Effective January 1948, an underlying principle of the GATT was that trade should be restricted only through the use of uniformly applied tariffs, and that domestic and export subsidies should not be used to create unfair advantages for producers. The Uruguay Round established theWorld Trade Organization (WTO) to replace the GATT. The WTO officially replaced the GATT on January 1, 1995 (although the GATT continued to exist through 1995 to allow member countries to accede to the WTO and to allow resolution of dispute settlements). See GATT.

General Conference Committee of the National Poultry Improvement Plan: Represents cooperating state agencies and poultry industry members, and serves as a liaison between the poultry industry and the USDA on poultry health matters. On August 26, 2002, the USDA re-established the Committee for two more years.

General Council: Principally responsible for the day-to-day workings of the World Trade Organization. It answers to the Ministerial Conference and also serves as the Dispute Settlement Body and as the Trade Policy Review Body.

General distress: Under the Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community program eligibility requirements, a condition evidenced by describing adverse conditions other than those of pervasive poverty and unemployment within the nominated area. Below average or declining per capita income, earnings per worker, per capita property tax base, and average years of school completed; outmigration and population decline; and a high or rising incidence of crime, narcotics use, abandoned housing, deteriorated infrastructure, school dropouts, teen pregnancy, incidents of domestic violence, incidence of certain health conditions, and illiteracy are appropriate indicators of general distress. See Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community program (EZ/EC).

General farm organization(s): Agricultural interest organizations that represent the breadth of producer and agribusiness issues, commodities, and geographic areas.

General Sales Manager (GSM): A position created in 1955 that oversees the sales policy and programs of the Commodity Credit Corporation.

Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): A policy that permits tariff reductions or possibly duty-free entry of certain imports from designated developing countries. Among other things, the GSP may increase economic growth in developing countries, help maintain favorable foreign relations with free world developing countries, and may serve as a low-cost means of providing aid to these nations. It is part of a coordinated effort of the industrial trading nations to bring developing countries more fully into the international trading system. Under the GSP, the U.S. provides nonreciprocal tariff preferences for designated developing countries.

Generally Accepted Agricultural Management Practices (GAAMP): A form of “right to farm” law that gives nuisance protection to farms using GAAMPs as established by the state or common agricultural practices in the area.

Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS): The regulatory status of food ingredients not evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration-prescribed testing procedure. It also includes common food ingredients that were already in use when the Food Additives Amendment of 1958 to theFederal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938 was enacted.

Generation and Transmission (G & T): Within the Rural Electric Cooperative distribution system, the unit that produces electric energy and then sells wholesale to distribution cooperatives.

Generic advertising and promotion: Promotion of a commodity without reference to the specific producer (handler or shipper), brand name, or manufacturer. See Generic promotion.

Generic commodity certificate(s): Negotiable, dollar-denominated certificates that do not specify a certain commodity, issued by the USDA in lieu of cash payments to commodity program participants and sellers of agricultural products. The certificates, frequently referred to aspayment-in-kind (PIK) certificates, can be used to acquire stocks held as collateral on government loans or owned by the Commodity Credit Corporation. Producers have received generic certificates as payment for participation in numerous current and former government programs, including acreage reduction, paid land diversion, the Conservation Reserve Program, rice marketing loans, disaster assistance, and emergency feed programs. Grain merchants and commodity groups also have been issued certificates through the Export Enhancement Program and the Targeted Export Assistance Program. Also Certificate(s); cert(s), and Commodity certificate(s).

Generic promotion: Marketing activities that promote the characteristics of a whole group or class as opposed to activities that proclaim distinctions or uniqueness of one product from the general class of products. Products such as grain, eggs, and oranges are scarcely differentiable because the substantive content is not unique between different producers. Since the products from various producers are not differentiable, the sales power generated from generic promotion activities is shared equally by all producers. It is used to overcome competition from other products, increase awareness, and overcome negative consumer opinions.

Genetic engineering; genetically engineered: (1) A highly technical process (also called biotechnology and bioengineering) of developing new plants and animals by combining genes into new forms and combinations. (2) Genetic modification of organisms by recombinant DNA, recombinantRNA, or other specific molecular gene transfer or exchange techniques.

Genetic erosion: The concern about the lack of genetic variability due to the widespread plantings and uniformity of major crops.

Genetic modification; genetically modified (GM): The identification of portions of DNA that are responsible for a particular trait in one organism, extracting or copying these DNA sequences, and then introducing them into a different organism.

Genetic premium: The portion of income realized from the sale of pigs for breeding purposes over and above their value if sold as commercial pigs.

Genetic selection: The application of science to systematic improvement of a population, primarily through selective breeding. See Selection.

Genetically modified agricultural products (GMAP): Agricultural products obtained through recombinant DNA techniques, a technological method of dividing DNA and recombining them, and then transplanting the recombinant DNA into live cells for propagation.

Genetically modified organism (GMO): Organisms in which the genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating or natural recombination.

Genetically modified pest protected plants (GMPP): Plants whose genes have been modified through genetic engineering techniques, such as recombinant DNA technology, to express traits that make them resistant to certain pests and disease. These transgenic plants may include genes from distantly related species or even from different biological kingdoms.

Geneticist: One who studies the interrelationship of the genetic code.

Genome(s): (1) A complete monoploid set of chromosomes of a species; the master copy of DNA of the chloroplast or of the mitochondria of a plant. (2) The complete genetic material of an organism.

Genomics: Study of the genetic composition of cells or organisms.

Genotype(s): (1) The entire genetic constitution (expressed or latent) of one individual. (2) The genetic constitution of an individual as expressed in terms of selected heritable characters. (3) The heredity materials considered as a unit.

Genus; genera: A group of closely related species.

Geographic information system (GIS): A computer-based technology that includes hardware, software, and graphics for capturing, integrating, and presenting geographically related data items. The system can encode, analyze, and display multiple map layers that are geographically registered to unique locations on the Earth’s surface. GIS can offer realistic simulations for modeling landscapes, assessing options, and selecting land-use alternatives in the decision-making process. This data includes information on natural resources, population, zoning, housing development, utility locations, and roadways. GIS can be used for land-use planning, environmental review, conservation compliance, disaster and emergency assistance, and land-mapping.

Geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers: Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 10906), a farmer or rancher from an insular area, Hawaii, or Alaska.

Germ: (1) The embryo in a cereal grain that grows into the new plant. (2) See Wheat germ.

Germ plasm; germplasm: (1) The material constituting the physical basis of inheritance, i.e., the aggregate of self-propagating particles that are transmitted to the offspring through the gametes. (2) The collective pool, or any part thereof, of genetic resources available for modification and improvement of the cultivated genotypes.

Germicide: A substance formulated to kill germs or microorganisms.

Germinate(s)(ed); germination; germinating: (1) Generally, the sprouting of a plant seed after a period of dormancy. This requires the removal of germination inhibitors and exposure to heat and moisture. (2) As defined by the International Seed Testing Association, the emergence and development from the seed embryo of a seedling to a stage where the essential structures are indicative of the ability to produce a normal plant under favorable conditions.

Gestation: The period of time from conception until birth.

Get: The offspring of a male animal.

GFEI: Global Food and Education Initiative

Giant reed: A tall, erect, perennial cane- or reed-like grass that can grow up to 26 feet tall while forming dense thickets. It reproduces rapidly and is aggressive, easily displacing native vegetation. Although considered an invasive weed in some areas, it can be cultivated and is considered a good source of biofuel feedstock because of its rapid growth, pest resistance, high biomass yield potential, and ability to be stored outside with minor yield losses.

Giblets: The portion of poultry carcasses that consists of hearts, gizzards, and livers.

Gilt pool: The inventory of unmated breeding female pigs that are eligible for mating.

Gilt(s): (1) A female pig that is retained for nonbreeding purposes. (2) A young female swine that has not produced a litter.

Gin waste: All forms of waste derived from the manufacture of cotton lint, and waste products, including finer particles such as dust, chips of burs, immature seeds and small leaves, derived from the milling of cottonseed.

Gin(s)(ning)(ned): (1) A machine that separates lint from the cottonseed. The term also is loosely used to include the entire facility involved in drying, cleaning, ginning, and baling of the lint. Two basic types of gins are used in modern cotton processing, the roller ginand saw gin. Extra-long staple cotton is ginned with roller gins while most upland cotton is ginned with saw gins. (2) The process of separating cotton lint from the seed.

Ginner(s): (1) Cotton gin operators. (2) One who tends the variety of machines that dry, clean, and separate cotton lint from seed and waste material.

Gleaning: Collecting of unharvested crops from the fields, or the obtaining of agricultural products from producers, processors, or retailers without charge.

Global Change Program Office (GCPO): The coordinating office within the Office of the Chief Economist that oversees agriculture, rural, and forestry-related global change program and policy for the USDA, is responsible for coordinating activities with other federal agencies, and interacts with the legislative branch on climate change issues affecting agriculture and forestry.

Global climate change: (1) Higher temperatures, changes in precipitation, increased climate variability, and extreme weather events associated with greenhouse gas emissions. (2) A provision of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (Title XXIV), as amended by the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (Sec. 843), that addressed concerns about the buildup of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The FACTA established research, response strategy, and planning objectives. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 9009) promoted research on the understanding of the exchange of greenhouse gases from agriculture. See Global Change Program Office (GCPO)and Greenhouse effect.

Global climate change: (1) Higher temperatures, changes in precipitation, increased climate variability, and extreme weather events associated with greenhouse gas emissions. (2) A provision of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (FACTA) (Title XXIV), as amended by the (Sec. 843), that addressed concerns about the buildup of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The FACTA established research, response strategy, and planning objectives. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 9009) promoted research on the understanding of the exchange of greenhouse gases from agriculture. See Global Change Program Office (GCPO), and Greenhouse effect.

Global climate change: (1) Higher temperatures, changes in precipitation, increased climate variability, and extreme weather events associated with greenhouse gas emissions. (2) A provision of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (Title XXIV), as amended by the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (Sec. 843), that addressed concerns about the buildup of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The FACTA established research, response strategy, and planning objectives. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 9009) promoted research on the understanding of the exchange of greenhouse gases from agriculture. See Global Change Program Office (GCPO)and Greenhouse effect.

Global Climate Change Prevention Act of 1990: Title XXIV, Secs. 2401-2403, of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, that established the Global Change Program Office.

Global Food and Education Initiative (GFEI): A pilot program in which the USDA donated surplus U.S. agricultural commodities for use in school feeding and pre-school nutrition projects in developing countries.

Global market strategy: The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 3206) mandates the preparation of a long-range agricultural trade strategy that identifies opportunities for growth in exports; ensures that resources, programs, and policies are coordinated with those of other agencies; and removes barriers to trade in overseas markets. Consultations with relevant Congressional committees were mandated to occur before November 9, 2002, and every two years thereafter.

Global positioning system (GPS): A network of satellites, controlled by the Department of Defense, that is designed to help ground-based units determine their current location, anytime and in any weather with high accuracy, in latitude and longitude coordinates. GPS satellites, 24 in all, orbit at 10,600 miles above the Earth. The satellites are spaced so that from any point on Earth, four satellites will be above the horizon. They are continuously monitored from five ground stations worldwide. The satellites transmit signals that are detected by a GPS receiver. Using the receiver, one can determine a location to within approximately 300 feet. Greater accuracy, usually within less than three feet, can be obtained with corrections calculated by a GPS receiver at a known fixed location.

Global Safeguard investigations: Under Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974, the International Trade Commission determines whether increased imports are a substantial cause of serious injury or threat of serious injury to a U.S. industry producing like or directly competitive products.

Global warming: An increase in the near-surface temperature of the Earth. Increases in emissions of greenhouse gases have been blamed.

Glucose: (1) A sugar, most commonly in the form of dextroglucose, that occurs naturally, has about half the sweetening power of regular sugar, and does not crystallize easily. Glucose comes from grape juice, honey, and certain vegetables, among other things. (2) A six carbon sugar that results when cellulose in biomass is hydrolyzed. Glucose is readily converted to ethanol by the action of yeast.

Glucose: A sugar, most commonly in the form of dextroglucose, that occurs naturally, has about half the sweetening power of regular sugar, and does not crystallize easily. Glucose comes from grape juice, honey, and certain vegetables, among other things.

Glycerin; glycerine: A liquid byproduct of biodiesel production used in the manufacture of dynamite, cosmetics, liquid soaps, inks, and lubricants.

Glycerol: A colorless, odorless, syrupy liquid (chemically, an alcohol) that is obtained from fats and oils, and used to retain moisture and add sweetness to foods. It is the major component of glycerin. Often used interchangeably with glycerin and glycerine.

Glycerol: A colorless, odorless, syrupy liquid (chemically, an alcohol) that is obtained from fats and oils, and used to retain moisture and add sweetness to foods.

GM: Genetically modified

GMA: Grocery Manufacturers of America

GMAP: Genetically modified agricultural products

GMO: Genetically modified organism

GMP: Good manufacturing practices

GMPP: Genetically modified pest protected plants

GNP: Gross National Product

Go(ing) long: To buy a futures contract; those who have bought “the market” are collectively called “longs.” A speculator going long expects the futures price of a commodity to rise.

Go(ing) short: To sell a futures contract. Those who have sold “the market” are collectively called “shorts.” A speculator going short expects the futures price of a commodity to fall.

Good faith exception to beneficial interest requirement: Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 1204(f)), for the 2001 crop year only, in the case of producers on a farm that marketed or otherwise lost beneficial interest in a loan commodity for which a marketing assistance loan was made before repaying the loan, the USDA shall permit the producers to repay the loan at the appropriate posted county price or adjusted world price that was in effect for the loan commodity on the date that the producers lost beneficial interest, if the USDA determines the producers acted in good faith.

Good faith exemption: Under swampbuster regulations, the loss of eligibility for swampbuster violations can be waived if the violation was done in good faith on converted wetlands or on wetlands converted subsequent to November 28, 1990. The USDA shall require such good faith violators to restore the wetland within one year or mitigate by creating wetland values in the same general area.

Good faith reliance: If desirable in order to insure fair and equitable treatment, the USDA may make price-supports or other payments available to producers who have, in attempting to comply with requirements of any price-support or other program, acted in good faith reliance on the action or advice of a USDA employee, even if the action taken in reliance was, in fact, a failure to comply with the programs.

Good farming practices: The farming practices that are commonly used in the area where a crop is produced, including sustainable farming practices, that are recognized by Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to be necessary for the crop to make normal progress toward maturity, produce at least the yield used to determine the production guarantee or amount of insurance, and be compatible with the agronomic and weather conditions in the area.

Good manufacturing practices (GMP): Food and Drug Administration standards for manufacturing quality products under sanitary conditions, and for determining whether a food is adulterated.

Gopher: A distributed information delivery system around which a campus-wide information system can be readily structured. While providing a delivery vehicle for local information, Gopher facilitates access to other Gopher and information servers throughout the world via the Internet.

Government Accountability Office (GAO) (formerly General Accounting Office): The agency of Congress that investigates the operations of various federal programs and the expenditure of appropriated funds. Most investigations are conducted at the request of Congressional committees or individual members of Congress.

Government farm program outlays: Total costs associated with federal commodity price– and income support, storage, disaster, and related programs. In the case of storage payments, outlays involve payments to producers and grain handlers.

Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) (P.L. 105-277) (44 USC § 3504): Signed into law October 21, 1998. Division C, Title XVII, of the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999, requires federal agencies to allow the option of submitting information or transacting business with the agency electronically. It is intended to help citizens gain one-stop access to existing government information and services; provide better, more efficient service; and increase government accountability to citizens. See Customer Statement, E Government Act of 2002, and Electronic government.

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) (P.L. 103-62): An act to initiate program performance reform by systematically holding federal agencies accountable for achieving program results. The goal is to promote a new focus on results, service quality, and customer satisfaction. Other goals are to help federal managers improve service delivery, and to improve Congressional decision making.

Government sponsored enterprise (GSE): An enterprise established by the federal government for a public purpose but privately owned and operated. GSEs are recognized as being implicitly backed by the federal government although the federal government is not explicitly obligated. These enterprises are excluded from the budget totals because they are classified as private entities. However, financial information concerning them is included in the budget. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Federal Home Loan Banks, and theFarm Credit System are GSEs.

Government sponsored enterprise (GSE): An enterprise established by the federal government for a public purpose but privately owned and operated. GSEs are recognized as being implicitly backed by the federal government although the federal government is not explicitly obligated. These enterprises are excluded from the budget totals because they are classified as private entities. However, financial information concerning them is included in the budget. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Federal Home Loan Banks, and theFarm Credit System are GSEs.

Government sponsored enterprise (GSE): An enterprise established by the federal government for a public purpose but privately owned and operated. GSEs are recognized as being implicitly backed by the federal government although the federal government is not explicitly obligated. These enterprises are excluded from the budget totals because they are classified as private entities. However, financial information concerning them is included in the budget. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Federal Home Loan Banks, and theFarm Credit System are GSEs.

Government sponsored enterprise-guaranteed loan: A loan or credit, or portion thereof, that is guaranteed by an entity that is chartered by Congress to serve a public purpose. The debt obligations are not explicitly guaranteed by the federal government. See Government sponsored enterprise (GSE).

GPCP: Great Plains Conservation Program

GPRA: Government Performance and Results Act

GPS: Global positioning system

Grabbot cotton: Cotton obtained by reginning cottonseed and hard locks of cotton mixed with hulls, bolls, and other substances which could not be removed by ordinary ginning. Also linter cotton.

Grade (grading) standards: Voluntary U.S. grade standards for cotton, dairy products, tobacco, fruits and vegetables, livestock, and poultry are issued under the authority of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, which provides for the development of official U.S. grades to designate different levels of quality. These grade standards are available for use by producers, suppliers, buyers, and consumers. These standards are designed to facilitate orderly marketing by providing a convenient basis for buying and selling, for establishing quality-control programs, and for determining loan values. See Agricultural commodity graders (grading).

Grade A milk: Milk, also referred to as fluid-grade milk, produced under sanitary conditions that qualify it for fluid (beverage) consumption. Only Grade A milk is regulated under federal milk marketing orders.

Grade and yield (livestock): Marketing transaction whereby payment is made on the bases of carcass weight and quality grade.

Grade animal: Any animal not registered in a breed registry.

Grade B milk: Milk, also referred to as manufacturing-grade milk, not meeting Grade A standards. Less stringent standards generally apply.

Graded wool: Wool that has been objectively measured for fiber diameter and yield.

Graders; grading; grade(s): (1) The classification or sorting of fibers according to such properties as staple length, strength, evenness, and fineness. (2) See Agricultural commodity graders (grading). (3) See Grade (grading) standards. (4) See Grain standards. (5) SeeInspection and grading (dairy). (6) Agricultural Marketing Service personnel who inspect tobacco presented for sale, determining and then applying quality standards, and assigning a grade to the tobacco to establish the amount of price-supportavailable for each lot.

Grades and standards: (1) The separation of agricultural commodities into classes that share common characteristics or factors. The role of grades and standards is to provide a language for efficient trade communication, enabling processors and merchandisers to reflect differences in value through the market channel in an efficient and timely manner. Grades do not create quality – they only describe it. (2) For grain, grades and standards (a) define uniform and accepted descriptive terms to facilitate trading, (b) provide information to aid in determining grain storability, (c) offer users of grain standards the best possible information from which to determine end-product yield and quality of grain, (d) provide the framework necessary for markets to establish grain quality improvement incentives, (e) reflect the economic value-based characteristics in the end-uses quality of grain, and (f) accommodate scientific advances in technology for measuring grain quality. Grade factors may include test weight per bushel, and percentages by weight, of damaged kernels, heat damage, foreign material, shrunken and broken kernels, total defects, and other factors. See Grain standards, and Nongrade standards.

Grading certificates; grade certificates: A statement or formal document, either written or printed, issued by an authorized inspector or grader relative to the class, quantity, quality, or condition of commodities or products. See Agricultural commodity graders (grading).

Graduate; graduation: (1) The process of removing developing countries that have increased their economic independence and competitiveness, through increased production or export earnings, from the list of Generalized System of Preferences countries. (2) AllFarm Service Agency direct-loan borrowers are required to refinance their loans with a private, commercial lender when they are financially able to do so. See Term limit(s) (loans).

Graft(s)(ing): The process of inserting a scion (shoot) of a specified variety into a stem, root, or branch of another plant so that a permanent union is achieved.

Grain alcohol: See Ethanol.

Grain bank: See Feed bank.

Grain cleaner(s): Screens and perforated augers used to separate foreign material from grain during the handling process.

Grain dealer(s): Person or company that buys and sells grain. Often, companies operate as both grain dealers and warehouses for the storage of grain owned by others.

Grain drill: A farm implement for planting primarily small grain seeds into the soil at a specific depth and in a specific amount.

Grain handling: (1) The transfer and distribution of grain into and out of bins in an elevator. (2) Postharvest operations including storage, drying, cleaning, and blending.

Grain inspection: (1) The federal Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) is responsible for carrying out the provisions of the U.S. Grain Standards Act through the establishment of a nationwide system to inspect and weigh U.S. grain at both interior and export locations. GIPSA provides both mandatory export grain inspection and grain weighing services and permissive domestic grain inspection and grain weighing services. The inspection and weighing of export grain must be performed by GIPSA personnel, or by licensed employees of states that have been delegated this authority by GIPSA. The majority of inspections of grain handled at inland locations or sold in the domestic market are performed by private firms and state agencies designated by GIPSA to provide official inspection services under GIPSA supervision. Mandatory inspection requirements include official weighing of most grain exported from the U.S., and of intercompany barge grain received at export port locations; official inspection of most grain exported from the U.S.; and testing of all corn exported from the U.S. for aflatoxin prior to shipment, unless the contract stipulates that testing is not required. Mandatory inspection requirements do not apply to grain that is not sold or described by grade. Mandatory inspection requirements also are waived for grain exporters shipping less than 15,000 metric tons of grain abroad annually, grain exported by train or truck to Canada or Mexico, grain sold as seed, and grain transshipped through the U.S. in a bonded identity-preserved fashion. Official inspection and weighing of U.S. grain in domestic commerce are not mandatory, and are performed upon request by authorized states and private agencies. In addition to inspecting and weighing grain, GIPSA is also responsible, under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, for inspecting and weighing rice, dry beans, peas, lentils, processed grain products, hops, and other assigned agricultural commodities upon request. (2) When inspecting grain, a sample is first examined for objectionable odor, insect infestation, and other potentially harmful or unusual conditions. Then, a representative portion of grain is divided out from the sample and its moisture content determined. The sample may next be tested for dockage, followed by a determination of test weight per bushel. (For some grains, test weight per bushel is determined before dockage.) After this, the sample is divided into smaller portions that are examined for factors such as damaged kernels and foreign material.

Grain Inspection Advisory Committee: The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (Title I, Subtitle B) directed the USDA to establish an advisory committee to advise the Administrator of the Federal Grain Inspection Service (now GIPSA) with respect to the efficient and economical implementation of the U.S. Grain Standards Act of 1976. The Grain Standards and Warehouse Improvement Act of 2000 (Sec. 109) extended the authority for the Advisory Committee through September 30, 2005. The Advisory Committee presently consists of 15 members, appointed by the USDA, who represent the interests of grain producers, processors, handlers, merchandisers, consumers, exporters, and scientists.

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA): Under the USDA reorganization, the former Federal Grain Inspection Service and the Packers and Stockyards Administration were combined. The new agency, part of the Marketing and Regulatory Programs mission area, is responsible forgrading services for grain and oilseeds under the U.S. Grain Standards Act; for inspecting and weighing rice, dry beans, peas, lentils, processed grain products, and hops upon request; and for regulating marketing practices in the grain and related products, livestock, poultry, and meat industries.

Grain Quality Improvement Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-641) (7 U.S.C. §§ 71 et seq.): Title III of the Futures Trading Act of 1986. Signed into law November 10, 1986. The Act required the Federal Grain Inspection Service to revise certain procedures in order to enhance the quality of U.S. grain exports. The Act addressed three primary areas: grain-handling practices, insect tolerances, and the usefulness of grain standards.

Grain Quality Incentives Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-624) (7 U.S.C. §§ 71 et seq.): Title XX of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990. Signed into law Nov. 28, 1990. The Act required the USDA to establish a committee to review U.S. grain quality and grain quality competitiveness. The Act also required theFederal Grain Inspection Service to (a) estimate the economic impact of changing grades and standards and imposing cleanliness limits, (b) establish grain standards for the benefit of end-users, and (c) amend the standards for the purposes of improving grain cleanliness, soundness, and purity.

Grain reserve program: See Farmer-Owned Reserve (FOR).

Grain sorghum: Old World cereal grass commonly raised as a coarse grain and for forage. Also Milo.

Grain spreader: A device used in grain storage bins to remove the “peaking” of grain during handling so as to improve airflow around the grain.

Grain standards: The U.S. Grain Standards Act, as amended, which has been in effect since 1916, provides for a system of official U.S grades and standards for grains, oilseeds, rice, lentils, dry peas, and a variety of edible beans. Such standards are in effect for 12 grains: corn, wheat, rye, oats, barley, flaxseed, grain sorghum, soybeans, sunflowerseeds, triticale, canola, and mixed grains. The orderly marketing of grain requires uniform descriptions that are understood and accepted by buyers and sellers. U.S. grain standards are continuously reviewed and revised as necessary to meet current marketing needs and practices.

Grain Standards and Warehouse Improvement Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-472): Signed into law November 9, 2000. The Act amended the U.S. Grain Standards Act to authorize the collection of fees to cover the cost of services provided under the Act, and improve the administration of grain inspection and related activities. The Act now allows federally licensed warehouse operators to issue electronic warehouse receipts for grain (an authority previously granted only to cotton), as well as electronically transmit other business documents (such as grade certificates, weight certificates, phytosanitary certificates, bills of lading, export evidence certificates, and other business-related documents required by letters of credit). The Act also (a) authorizes federal warehouse operators to enter into contracts or agreements with depositors to allocate available commercial storage space; (b) clarifies that federal warehouse operators are not obligated to store commodities not customarily handled in the area; (c) specifically allows federal warehouse operators to commingle grain by grade; (d) authorizes the USDA to accept financial surety instruments other than bonds (such as letters of credit or Treasury bills) to cover bonding requirements or deficiencies in net worth; (e) recognizes the enforceability of arbitration for resolving disputes between warehouse operators and depositors; (f) requires the USDA to minimize examination fees, improve efficiencies, and reduce costs of operating the federal warehouse system; (g) removes most economic regulation of storage and handling rates; and (h) encourages the USDA to work with state licensing authorities to improve efficiencies of both state and federal programs.

Grain Stocks: A National Agricultural Statistics Service report, issued four times yearly, that contains stocks of all wheat, durum wheat, corn, grain sorghum, oats, barley, soybeans, flaxseed, canola, rapeseed, rye, sunflower, safflower, and mustard seed by states and the U.S., and by position (off-farm or on-farm storage); and includes the number and capacity of off-farm storage facilities and capacity of on-farm storage facilities. See Crop Production – Annual Summary, and Crop Production – Monthly.

Grain terminal: See Terminal elevator(s).

Grain weighing: Under the United States Grain Standards Act of 1916, it is mandatory that most grain exported from the U.S. and barge grain received at export port locations be officially weighed. See Grain inspection.

Grain(s): As defined by the U.S. Grain Standards Act, corn, wheat, rye, oats, barley, flaxseed, grain sorghum, soybeans, mixed grain, and any other food grains, feed grains, and oilseeds for which standards are established under 7 U.S.C. § 76.

Grain-fed: Feeding animals diets in which the majority of the feedstuff is composed of grains such as corn, wheat, or grain sorghum. These diets are also referred to as a high-energy diets, as grains are high in energy compared to grass-based diets. SeeGrass-fed.

Grains Trade Convention (GTC): A major component of the International Grains Agreement, the Convention seeks to further international cooperation in all aspects of grains trade; promote expansion, openness, and fairness in the grains sector; contribute to grain market stability; and enhance world food security. These objectives are to be sought by improving market transparency through information-sharing, analysis, and consultation on grain market and policy developments. The convention applies to trade in wheat, coarse grains, and their products.

Gramm-Rudman-Hollings (GRH)(P.L. 99-177): The common name for the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Reaffirmation Act of 1987.

Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act (GRH) (P.L. 99-177): The common name for the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Reaffirmation Act of 1987.

Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Deficit Reduction Act (GRH) (P.L. 99-177): The common name for the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Reaffirmation Act of 1987.

Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Deficit Reduction Act (P.L. 99-177): Signed into law December 12, 1985, and the common name for the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended in 1987 (P.L. 100-119). The law mandated annual reductions in the federal budget deficit to eliminate it by 1993. If Congress and the President could not agree on a targeted budget package for any specific fiscal year, automatic cuts could occur for almost all federal programs. Social Security, interest on the federal debt, veterans compensation, veterans pensions, Medicaid, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children, Supplemental Security Income, the Food Stamp Program, and the child nutrition programs were exempt from the cuts. The original Gramm-Rudman-Hollings law was declared unconstitutional in 1986.

Grandfather clause: A GATT provision that allowed the original contracting parties to maintain domestic legislation that was inconsistent with GATT provisions, but which existed before the GATT was signed.

Grange: See National Grange.

Granger-Thye Act of 1950 (P.L. 81-478) (16 U.S.C. §§ 572 et seq.): Signed into law April 24, 1950. The Act authorized the Forest Service to provide grazing permits and to engage in rangeland improvement.

Granules: Pesticides formulated into materials such as ground corn cobs, crushed walnut shells, or pecan shells. After application, it is usually necessary to wet the granules with water to release the active ingredient.

GRAS: Generally Recognized as Safe

Grass-based farming: See Managed grazing.

Grass-fed: The feeding of livestock with grass. The grass fed can be a multitude of grass species. See Grain-fed.

Grassed waterway(s): A natural or constructed channel, shaped or graded to required dimensions and established with suitable vegetation, to convey runoff from terraces, diversions, or other water concentrations without causing erosion or flooding. See Buffer strip(s); buffer acreage, and Conservation buffer(s) strip(s).

Grassland Reserve Program (GRP): A program authorized by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 2401) to assist owners, through long-term contracts or easements, in restoring grasslands and conserving virgin grasslands. Up to two million acres of eligiblerestored, improved, or natural grassland, rangeland, and pasture (including prairie), in tracts of at least 40 contiguous acres, can be enrolled under contracts of 10, 15, 20, or 30 years, under 30-year easements, or under permanent easements. For contracts, annual rental payments shall equal 75 percent of grazing value. Permanent easements are to be purchased at fair market value, less grazing value, while 30-year easements are to be purchased at 30 percent of fair market value, less grazing value. Cost sharing is available up to 75 percent of restoration costs on restored grasslands and up to 90 percent on virgin grasslands.

Grassland(s): Lands dominated by various types of grasses with few trees and shrubs; usually in regions with limited average precipitation. Grasslands include the prairies of North America, pampas of South America, steppes of Asia, and savannahs of Africa.

Grassroots Source Water Protection Program: A program authorized by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 2502) to enable rural water associations to provide better services in the implementation of wellhead and groundwater protection programs.

Gravity irrigation: Irrigation in which the water is not pumped, but flows and is distributed by gravity.

Gravity screen: Screens used in the handling process to clean grain as it passes over the top.

Grazable forest land: Forest land that produces, at least periodically, sufficient understory vegetation that can be grazed. See Forest grazing, and Silvipastoral; silvopastoral.

Graze(s)(d); grazing: Consumption of native forage from rangelands or pastures by livestock or wildlife.

Graze-out payments: See Payments in lieu of loan deficiency payments.

Grazier: One who grazes livestock. See Grazing.

Grazing allotment(s): An area where one or more livestock operators graze their livestock. An allotment generally consists of federal land, but may include parcels of private or state-owned land. See Community grazing allotment(s).

Grazing association(s): Organized under state laws of incorporation or cooperatives, and considered to be a separate legal entity that helps administer grazing on National Forest System lands. Grazing associations must provide the means for its members to manage their permitted livestock, meet with Forest Service officials, work through the association to address their concerns and desires, share costs for handling livestock, construct and maintain range improvements and other projects necessary for proper range management, and formulate special rules to ensure proper resource management.

Grazing capacity: Proper stocking of livestock to maximize the sustainable use of available forage. Also Carrying capacity, and Stocking rate.

Grazing district(s): The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to establish grazing districts of vacant, unappropriated, and unreserved land from any parts of the public domain, excluding Alaska, that are not national forests, parks and monuments, Indian reservations, railroad grant lands, or Coos Bay Wagon Road grant lands, and that are valuable chiefly for grazing and raising forage crops. Whenever grazing districts are established, the Secretary shall grant adjacent landowners, upon application, rights-of-way over the lands for stock-driving purposes to provide access to marketing facilities or to lands not within the district but owned by the person with stock-grazing rights. Currently, the Bureau of Land Management administers 135 million acres of public lands formed into grazing districts. See Taylor Grazing Act of 1934.

Grazing event: The length of time that an animal grazes without stopping.

Grazing fee(s): Fees compiled using the formula in the Public Rangelands Improvement Act. A 1966 base value of $1.23 per animal unit month is adjusted for three factors: (a) current private grazing land lease rates, (b) beef cattle prices, and (c) the cost of livestock production. The formula yields a fee of $1.12, but under a 1986 Presidential Executive Order, the grazing fee cannot fall below $1.35 per AUM. Fifty percent of the fees collected are deposited into a range betterment fund and used for range improvement. Portions of the remaining fifty percent are allocated to the states and the U.S. Treasury, depending upon what type of lands generated the receipts.

Grazing industry: Livestock, such as sheep and cattle, produced on grazing lands.

Grazing land management technologies: For purposes of the Conservation of Private Grazing Land Program, new and improved technologies, including new fencing materials, livestock watering facilities, chemicals to control invasive weeds, livestock health products, grazing management practices, fertilizer technologies, geographic information system technologies, and computerized decision-support systems.

Grazing land(s): Lands that are used to support the U.S. livestock industry. Grazing land covers nearly half of the U.S. land surface, and includes irrigated pastures, perennial forage crops, prairies, and arid rangelands. Grazing land encompasses most of the nation’s wildlife habitat, and most of the nation’s water comes from grazed watersheds.

Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI): A nationwide collaborative process of individuals and organizations working together to maintain and improve the management, productivity, and health of private grazing lands in the U.S. GLCI seeks to strengthen partnerships, promote voluntary assistance and participation, promote respect for private property rights, encourage diversification to achieve multiple benefits, and emphasize training, education, and increased public awareness. The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides funding and is a primary member of the Initiative. See Conservation of Private Grazing Land Program (CPGL).

Grazing leases: See Grazing permit(s).

Grazing management: The manipulation of animal grazing in pursuit of a defined objective. See Grazing method(s), and Managed grazing.

Grazing management unit: The grazing land area used to support a group of grazing animals for a grazing season. It may be a single area or it may have a number of subdivisions.

Grazing method(s): A defined procedure or technique of grazing management designed to achieve a specific objective. One or more grazing methods can be utilized within a grazing system. See Creep grazing, First-last grazing, and Forward creep (grazing).

Grazing nonuse: The percentage of grazing lands on which cattle have not been run.

Grazing period: The length of time that livestock graze a specific land area.

Grazing permit(s): Any document authorizing use of public rangelands or lands in national forests in the sixteen contiguous Western states for the purpose of grazing domestic livestock.

Grazing preference: The status of qualified grazing permittees, acquired by grant, prior use, or purchase, that entitles them to special consideration over applicants who have not acquired preferences.

Grazing pressure: The relationship between the number of animal units and the weight of forage dry matter per unit area at any one point in time; an animal-to-forage relationship. See Forage allowance.

Grazing privilege: The benefit or advantage enjoyed by a person or company beyond the common advantage of other citizens to graze livestock on federal lands. The privilege may be created by grazing permit, license, grazing lease, or agreement.

Grazing rest: Deferral of grazing on an area. See Rest.

Grazing season: (1) The time period during which grazing can normally be practiced each year or portion of each year. (2) On federal public lands, an established period for which grazing permits are issued.

Grazing system: (1) Systematic sequence of grazing use and nonuse of an allotment to meet multiple-use goals by improving the quality and amount of vegetation. (2) A defined, integrated combination of animal, plant, soil, and other environmental components and the grazing method(s) by which the system is managed to achieve specific results or goals.

Grease wool: Shorn wool in its natural state before processing.

Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control: Authorized under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 2502). The USDA may carry out a program for soil and sediment control that provides project demonstration grants, technical assistance, and information/educationprograms to improve water quality in the Great Lakes Basin.

Great Plains: A level, to gently sloping, region of the U.S. that lies between the Rockies and approximately the 98th meridian. The area is subject to recurring droughts and high winds. It consists of parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico.

Great Plains Conservation Program (GPCP): Established in 1956 to help stabilize the agriculture of this vast area. The region contains important grazing lands and cropland, including vast acreages of wheat. Located in ten states, the Great Plains is an area of light and fragile soils, relatively low rainfall, and periodic drought and dust storms. The GPCP helped land users, through cost share and technical assistance, to change their farm and ranch operations to mitigate natural hazards of the Great Plains, such as those related to climate, soil, topography, floods, and salinity. The changes included measures for erosion control, water conservation, and land-use adjustment. In the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (Sec. 334), Congress repealed authority for the GPCP and included its functions into the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

Green Book: The Food and Drug Administration-published list of all animal drugs approved for safety and effectiveness.

Green Box policies: A popular term that describes domestic support policies that are not subject to reduction commitments under the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture. These policies are assumed to affect trade minimally, and include policies related to such activities as research, education, food security stocks, disaster payments, the environment, and structural adjustment programs.

Green Box program: See Market Access Program (MAP).

Green chemistry: The design of chemical products and processes that are more environmentally benign for pollution prevention purposes.

Green chop: Mechanically harvested forage fed to animals while it is fresh and succulent. It is usually produced from a high-input, high-yielding forage crop that is chopped, blown into a large wagon, then brought into the barn or feed yard, and fed immediately to confined animals. A small portion of a field is utilized this way each day until the forage is gone. Green chop is more commonly used for dairy animals than for beef cattle.

Green industry: (1) The sustainable use of local resources, and the reduction, reuse, and recycling of materials and energy, employment of local people, providing of fair and equitable opportunities for employees, and the commitment to the long-term health of the region. (2) The production (farms, greenhouses and nurseries), wholesale (florists and nursery crop wholesalers), distribution (importers, brokers, auctions, and cooperatives), and retail (florists, shops, and greenhouses; direct-marketing of fresh, field-grown products; landscape firms; and garden centers) elements of the horticultural plants, plant products, and turfgrass industries.

Green infrastructure: An interconnected network of protected land and water that supports native species, maintains natural ecological processes, sustains air and water resources, and contributes to the health and quality of life for communities and people.

Green manure: The use of leguminous crops as a source of nitrogen when they are plowed into a field.

Green payments: Financial incentives or reimbursements to support producers based upon the adoption of environmental practices that protect land, water, air quality, and wildlife, and not on the commodities they produce. These payments would replace the current mix of supply control, price-support, and income support programs. See Conservation Security Program (CSP).

Green peanuts: Peanuts that are harvested and marketed prior to maturity without drying or removal of moisture either by natural or artificial means.

Green rice: The term used to describe harvested rice before it has been dried to a level safe for long-term storage (12 percent moisture). See Paddy rice.

Green tobacco: Tobacco that has not yet been redried or processed.

Green weight: (1) The weight of tobacco prior to redrying or processing. (2) The weight of fresh meat before any solution or seasoning is added, or processing is done.

Greenhouse crop(s): See Nursery crop(s); greenhouse crop(s).

Greenhouse effect: The effect produced as greenhouse gases allow incoming solar radiation to pass through the Earth’s atmosphere, but prevent most of the outgoing infra-red radiation of the surface and lower atmosphere from escaping into outer space. Life on Earch requires a natural greenhouse effect.

Grey book: A comprehensive book on foreign animal diseases assembled by the U.S. Animal Health Association.

GRH: Gramm-Rudman-Hollings

Grid; grid pricing: See Pricing grid(s).

GRIP: Group Revenue Insurance Policy

GRIP: Group Risk Income Protection

Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA): The world’s largest association of food, beverage, and consumer product companies. The organization applies legal, scientific, and political expertise from its member companies to vital food, nutrition, and public policy issues affecting the industry. Led by a board of 44 industry CEOs, the GMA speaks for food and consumer product manufacturers on legislative and regulatory issues at the state, federal, and international levels. The association also leads efforts to increase productivity, efficiency, and growth in the food, beverage, and consumer products industries.

Grocery wholesaler(s): A dealer primarily engaged in the full-line wholesale distribution and resale of grocery and related nonfood items to retailers. Such items include perishable agricultural commodities, dry groceries, general merchandise, meat, poultry, and seafood, and health and beauty care items.

Gross cash income: The total of cash receipts from the sale of crops and livestock, direct government payments, and farm-related income. This is the total cash flow into production agriculture.

Gross domestic product (GDP): A measure of output from U.S. factories and related consumption in the U.S. It does not include products made by U.S. companies in foreign markets.

Gross farm income (revenue): Income that farm operators realize from farming. It includes cash receipts from the sale of farm products, government payments, the value of food and fuel produced and consumed on farms where grown, the rental value of farm dwellings, and an allowance for change in the value of year-end inventories of crops and livestock.

Gross income limit: See Adjusted gross income limit; adjusted gross income cap.

Ground and Surface Water Conservation Program (GSWC): A program authorized by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 2301) as part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to promote groundwater and surface water conservation by providing cost-sharing, incentive payments, and loans to producers to carry out eligible water conservation activities, including improving irrigation, conversion to production of less water-intensive commodities, or improving water storage.

Ground clearance: General term for removing unwanted vegetation, slash stumps, roots, and stones from a site before afforestation or reforestation.

Ground pile(s): Temporary covered or uncovered storing of excess grain production in piles, typically on concrete or asphalt slabs with rigid self-supporting sidewalls. Proper aeration is required. See Emergency and temporary storage.

Groundcover(s); ground cover(s): (1) Any plant used to cover an area of ground to hide it or to protect it from erosion or drought. (2) The layer of vegetation below the shrub layer including mosses, ferns, and grasses; undergrowth. (3) Often refers to non-grass plants used in place of grass. See Cover crop(s).

Groundwater; ground water: Water beneath the Earth’s surface, between saturated soil and rock, that supplies wells and springs.

Group of 02 (G-2): The informal term that came into use about 1986 for the effort to facilitate the bilateral economic cooperation between the two most powerful economic giants, Japan and the U.S.

Group of 03 (G-3): A group established in September 1990, to establish a mechanism for policy coordination between Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela.

Group of 03 (G-3) Treaty: On June 13, 1994, the governments of Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela signed a multilateral agreement effective January 1, 1995. The primary goal of the Treaty is to eliminate tariffs over a period of 10 years (12 years in the case of automobiles), except with respect to certain agricultural products, with a view to creating a free trade area similar to that envisioned under the North America Free Trade Agreement.

Group of 05 (G-5): Established in the mid-1970s to coordinate the economic policies of the five major industrial countries, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. It was subsequently superseded by the Group of 7.

Group of 07 (G-7): Comprised of the U.S., Japan, Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It consults regularly for the purpose of coordinating economic policies to achieve sustained economic growth with price stability, foster stability in exchangemarkets, and promote adjustment in external imbalances. The G-7 major industrial countries have held annual economic summits (meetings at the level of head of state or government) since 1975. At the level of finance minister and central bank governor, the G-7 superseded the G-5 as the main policy coordination group during 1986-87. Since 1987, the G-7 finance ministers and central bank governors have met at least semi-annually to monitor developments in the world economy and assess economic policies.

Group of 08 (G-8): The G-8 (also sometimes known as the Political 8 or P8) was conceived when Russia first participated in part of the 1994 Naples Summit of the G-7. Again in 1997, Russia joined the Denver Summit of the eight, for political discussions, after the conclusion of the G-7 economic summit. At the 1998 Birmingham, England, Summit, Russia joined as a full participant, which marked the establishment of the G-8. However, the G-8 did not replace the G-7, which continues to function as a forum for discussion of economic and financial issues among the major industrial countries, and separate communiqués have continued to be issued by the G-7 and G-8 summits.

Group of 09 (G-9): A group formed to discuss matters of mutual interest, on an informal basis, among the member countries of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Romania, Sweden, and Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro).

Group of 10 (G-10): Also known as the Paris Club, the group of countries that have agreed to participate in the General Arrangements to Borrow (GAB). This voluntary gathering dates back to 1956, when Argentina agreed to meet its public creditors in Paris. The GAB was formally established in 1962, when the governments of eight International Monetary Fund members – Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. – and the central banks of two other countries, Germany and Sweden, agreed to make resources available to the IMF for drawings by participants, and under certain circumstances, for drawings by nonparticipants. The GAB was strengthened in 1964 by the association of Switzerland, then a nonmember of the IMF, but the name of the G-10 remained the same.

Group of 11 (G-11): Also known as the Cartagena Group, it was formed in 1984, in Cartagena, Colombia, to provide a forum for the largest debtor nations in Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Group of 15 (G-15): Established at the Ninth Non-Aligned Summit Meeting in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in September 1989. It is composed of countries from Latin America, Africa, and Asia with a common goal of enhanced growth and prosperity. The G-15 focuses on cooperation among developing countries in the areas of investment, trade, and technology. The membership of the G-15 has expanded to 17 countries, but the name has remained unchanged. In 1991, Chile joined the Group, while Yugoslavia withdrew following the collapse of the former Soviet Union. In the Group’s Seventh Summit held in Kuala Lumpur in November 1997, Kenya joined the Group, followed by Sri Lanka in the Eighth Summit held in Cairo, May 1998. The current membership is: Algeria, Indonesia, Peru, Argentina, Jamaica, Senegal, Brazil, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Chile, Nigeria, Venezuela, Egypt, Malaysia, Zimbabwe, India, and Mexico.

Group of 2 (G-2): The informal term that came into use about 1986 for the effort to facilitate the bilateral economic cooperation between the two most powerful economic giants, Japan and the U.S.

Group of 24 (G-24): The group of twenty-four African, Asian, and Latin American countries, within the International Monetary Fund, established in August 1989 to promote the interests of development in these countries. The group at its founding included Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Iran, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, and Yugoslavia.

Group of 3 (G-3): A group established in September 1990, to establish a mechanism for policy coordination between Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela.

Group of 3 (G-3) Treaty: On June 13, 1994, the governments of Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela signed a multilateral agreement effective January 1, 1995. The primary goal of the Treaty is to eliminate tariffs over a period of 10 years (12 years in the case of automobiles), except with respect to certain agricultural products, with a view to creating a free trade area similar to that envisioned under the North America Free Trade Agreement.

Group of 5 (G-5): Established in the mid-1970s to coordinate the economic policies of the five major industrial countries, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. It was subsequently superseded by the Group of 7.

Group of 7 (G-7): Comprised of the U.S., Japan, Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It consults regularly for the purpose of coordinating economic policies to achieve sustained economic growth with price stability, foster stability in exchange markets, and promote adjustment in external imbalances. The G-7 major industrial countries have held annual economic summits (meetings at the level of head of state or government) since 1975. At the level of finance minister and central bank governor, the G-7 superseded the G-5 as the main policy coordination group during 1986-87. Since 1987, the G-7 finance ministers and central bank governors have met at least semi-annually to monitor developments in the world economy and assess economic policies.

Group of 8 (G-8): The G-8 (also sometimes known as the Political 8 or P8) was conceived when Russia first participated in part of the 1994 Naples Summit of the G-7. Again in 1997, Russia joined the Denver Summit of the eight, for political discussions, after the conclusion of the G-7 economic summit. At the 1998 Birmingham, England, Summit, Russia joined as a full participant, which marked the establishment of the G-8. However, the G-8 did not replace the G-7, which continues to function as a forum for discussion of economic and financial issues among the major industrial countries, and separate communiqués have continued to be issued by the G-7 and G-8 summits.

Group of 9 (G-9): A group formed to discuss matters of mutual interest, on an informal basis, among the member countries of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Romania, Sweden, and Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro).

Group of producers: Under the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers program, three or more producers who are not members of the same family. See Family member.

Group of Six (Shanghai G-6): Also known as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Formed in April 1996, it includes Russia, China, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, and was established to consolidate confidence in the border regions and for economic purposes. The unofficial objective of the organization, as pushed by Russia and China, is to counter the growing influence of the U.S. in the region.

Group plans (crop insurance): See Group Risk Income Protection (GRIP), and Group Risk Plan (GRP).

Group Revenue Insurance Policy (GRIP): See Group Risk Income Protection (GRIP).

Group Risk Income Protection (GRIP): A county-based form of revenue insurance that pays a producer when the county revenue per acre, rather than the producer’s revenue per acre, for the insured crop falls below the trigger revenue selected by the producer. GRIP is a pilotprogram with limited availability. Also Group Revenue Insurance Policy (GRIP). See Group Risk Plan (GRP).

Group Risk Plan (GRP): Yield-based insurance coverage that pays only when the yield for an entire county falls below the expected county yield. Individual risk protection depends on the level of coverage chosen, yet premiums are less than for multiperil crop insurance. Individual crop losses may not be covered if the county yield does not suffer a similar level of loss. See Group Risk Income Protection (GRIP).

Group/Lot Identification Number (GIN): The number used to identify a unit of animals of the same species that is managed together throughout the pre-harvest production chain.

Grow out: To feed animals so that they attain a certain desired amount of growth with little or no fattening. Grower(s) (tobacco): A person or entity who provides labor to produce tobacco and shares in the risk of production.

Grower Designation Program (tobacco): This program requires that burley tobacco producers designate the specific warehouse, dealer, or contract buying point at which they will market their tobacco in order to qualify for price-support and the issuance of a marketing card. This information also allows the Agricultural Marketing Service to schedule personnel to grade such tobacco when it is presented for sale. See Flu-cured Tobacco Warehouse Designation Program.

Grower(s) (tobacco): A person or entity who provides labor to produce tobacco and shares in the risk of production.

Growing season: The traditional plant growth season for each particular plant, usually between the last freeze of spring and the first freeze of fall.

Growing stage: The stage after pigs leave the nursery. Pigs are larger and more capable of taking care of themselves at this stage, so larger group pens and a less controlled environment are preferable. Pigs remain in this stage until they reach 120 to 140 pounds.

Growth factors: Small proteins that enable cells to communicate and effectively coordinate activities with one another.

Growth hormones; growth promotants: Nonnutritive substances provided to animals for the purposes of improving feed conversion and increasing growth rate. Bovine Somatotropin is naturally produced by cows, but additional injections of the hormone have resulted in 10 to 25 percent additional milk production per cow. Porcine Somatotropin is a growth hormone for swine that increases muscle weight with less fat, and also boosts feed conversion efficiency. The policy issues that arise with growth hormones are the effects of its use on supply and prices of the affected product, and the safety of the product for consumption. See Hormone-treated meat.

Growth promotants: See Growth hormones; growth promotants.

Growth regulator(s): A natural substance that controls the growth and division of cells. See Insect growth regulator(s), and Plant growth regulator(s).

Guarantee(s); guaranteed; guaranteed loan(s): Loans that involve the federal government actually guaranteeing a private lending institution that a stipulated portion of a borrower’s loan will be repaid, either by the borrower or the federal government, in the case of borrower default. If the borrower defaults on the loan, the federal government would have to disburse to the lending institution that portion of the borrower’s unpaid balance covered by the federal guarantee. The federal agency having responsibility for administering the credit program must counsel a prospective borrower on eligibility criteria and application procedures, evaluate the applicant’s ability to repay, counsel and assist the borrower in arranging a loan from the private lending institution, perform administrative procedures necessary to record the loan guarantee transaction, maintain liaison with loans that are seriously delinquent, and where necessary, institute legal action to eliminate or minimize the loss to the federal government in the event the borrower defaults on the loan. The Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 1999 required an annual increase of the guaranteed loan limit so that it kept pace with inflation in the cost of farm inputs. The loan limit is modified each fiscal year based on the percentage change in the Prices Paid by Farmers Index (as determined annually by the National Agricultural Statistics Service).

Guaranteed (Farm) Loan(s) program: A Farm Service Agency credit program designed to ease the graduation of borrowers to commercial credit, and to help establish relationships between new borrowers and their lending institutions. Guaranteed loans provide protection to lenders and free the FSA from having to provide direct-loan servicing. See Loan guarantee(s), and Preferred lender program (PLP).

Guaranteed Rural Housing loan program: USDA guaranteed loans made by commercial lenders to moderate-income rural residents. Eligible applicants must have sufficient income and acceptable credit, but may lack the down payment to secure a loan. The USDA provides up to 100 percent financing for eligible borrowers, and it provides guarantees to participating lenders against most losses.

Guayule: A shrub that has the potential to be a primary source of natural rubber.

Gully erosion: See Erosion.

Gumbo: Dark soil that becomes thick, sticky, and nonporous when wet; slick spots that can be salt-contaminated; undesirable soil. Also buckshot.

Gypsy moth: One of the most notorious pests of hardwood trees in the eastern U.S. Since 1980, the gypsy moth has defoliated one million or more forested acres each year.

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Located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the National Agricultural Law Center serves the nation’s vast agricultural community and is a key partner of the USDA National Agricultural Library. For more information, click here.
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